There was confusion in Ado-Ekiti, Friday, when a Police Corporal, Abdulkadir Yakub, was attacked by a soldier, identified as Babalola Ebenezer, with Jackknife following an altercation between them over traffic control. Our correspondent learnt that Ebenezer was among about 20 soldiers who are indigenes of the state said to have returned from a recruitment exercise in Kaduna, Kaduna State, in their full Army uniform, and were in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, to see Governor Ayodele Fayose in his office.

Yakub, who sustained several deep cuts on his head and back, lost so much blood and was immediately rushed to the Police Clinic at the Okesa area of the state capital. According to a medical doctor who spoke to journalists on the condition of anonymity, the victim may have to be infused with blood.

Corporal Yakub’s colleague, Agom Monday, who was working alongside the victim as at the time of the attack, explained that the newly recruited soldiers numbering about 20 were returning from the Governor’ Office around 2pm on official visit. Agom added that when they got to Fajuyi Roundabout they began to stop commercial motorcyclists and drivers to demand money right at the busy roundabout, “while we were still on duty, trying to control the traffic”.

He added that, “I was with Yakub at the Fajuyi Roundabout where we were deployed to control traffic. The ‘recruits’ were returning from Governor’s Office and on getting to the point where we were controlling the traffic, they stopped and started harassing motorcycle riders and motorists for money.

“One of the soldiers, Ebenezer, stopped a man in mufti who happened to be a policeman right in his car and demanded the car key, while Yakub was trying to pass him to allow for the next person in line, so as to free traffic which was already building up.

“Yakub then explained to him (Ebenezer) that the man he stopped, Boboye Oluwakorede, is a police officer and that he should allow him to go, as stopping him there would cause hold up. The statement infuriated the soldier who immediately slapped Yakub, before bringing out a Jackknife with which he started cutting him at several parts of the body.

“I then joined other people to rescue Yakub from him, Ebenezer, who had started shouting: ‘I will kill you, idiot; I will kill you, idiot’. His colleague soldiers started punching Yakub already soaked in blood.”

Another source said: “Yakub was busy controlling traffic before the soldiers came and started stopping everybody. I saw them when they were jogging to Governor’s Office, singing, and when they were returning. They came back and rather than go their own way, they stopped at this junction (Fajuyi Roundabout) and started stopping everybody, including okada riders and vehicle drivers.

“At a point one of them started arguing with a traffic warden and soon brought out a sharp knife to cut the warden. At that point, I ran to another place to hide myself, but I could see some people trying to hold the soldier’s hands.”

The Public Relations Officers of the Ekiti State Police Command, Mr. Alberto Adeyemi, who confirmed the incident, said “the situation is under control”. (Leadership)

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